Entry to the Springbok Experience, SA Rugby’s internationally acclaimed interactive rugby museum in the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, will be free of charge on Friday, 18 May 2018, as part of the worldwide celebration of International Museum Day.

The Springbok Experience, that was awarded a Certificate of Excellence for 2017 by TripAdvisor, has officially registered and actively participating with the International Museum Council (Museums of the World) and will like last year, celebrate International Museum Day with other museums around the country and the world. In 2017, more than 36,000 museums participated in the event in some 157 countries.

“This year marks the 41st anniversary of International Museum Day and we’re proud to be part of this worldwide event,” said SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux.

“The Springbok Experience provides us with the vehicle of telling many stories of rugby’s past that wasn’t part of the international story in years gone by. It also allows us to paint a clear picture of the role our wonderful game has played in the history of South Africa.”

The theme for 2018 is “Hyperconnected museums: New approaches, new publics”.

Roux said: “To support this theme, we hope to connect with new audiences in a variety of ways. By taking part in the International Museum Day celebrations, we would like to show our appreciation towards our loyal fans, while it is also a great opportunity to showcase rugby’s rich and diverse history in our wonderful country.

“This year we’ll be marking the fifth anniversary of the Springbok Experience and in that time almost 200 000 people from around the world have experienced that it’s not only about jerseys, boots, blazers and old team photos, but rather a proper rugby experience,” added Roux.

According to the International Council of Museums, the objective of International Museum Day is to raise awareness of the fact that “museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples.”

Opening hours are from 09h00 to 17h00 (last entry at 16h30).

In the last couple of years, TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, named the Springbok Experience in the top 1% of world attractions, while the museum was awarded TripAdvisor’s highest accolade, a Travellers’ Choice Award, in 2015. In 2014, the Springbok Experience was shortlisted for the International Museum of the Year Award in the UK’s Museum + Heritage Awards.

The Springbok Experience boasts more than 60 media channels playing across touch screens, monitors and projectors, which help it to create an interactive social hub to be enjoyed by all, including families.